Up Close With Nike's "BETRUE" Pride Month 2019 Pack

First seen earlier this week, we now have an intimate view of four sneakers from the forthcoming “BETRUE” pack. Dropping in time for Pride Month 2019, the collection is packed with references and motifs in line with the annual celebration of inclusivity and sexuality.

Inspired by the campaigning of political activist Gilbert Baker, Nike splashes a host of its classic silhouettes with hues inspired by Baker’s Pride Flag, which the designer created by hand in 1979. Working with his estate, Nike created a collection of footwear, garments and accessories informed by the eight-color Pride Flag, an idealized version of the limited six-color version that Baker created due to textile restraints.

Kicking off the footwear offering, the clunky Air Max 720 sports the multiple tones across its gradient upper, with Baker’s signature on the rear of the clear Air Unit midsole and “BETRUE” branding on the pulltab to drive the influence home. The Air Tailwind 79, meanwhile, offers neutral beige tones across the upper’s suede panels, with a see-through mesh middle portion that takes cues from crop tops, completed with a rainbow panel on the heel and pink Swoosh on the tongue tag.

Offering up neutral tones alongside the brighter accents, Nike’s Air Max 90 offers grey and black leather panels alongside white mesh, elevated by multiple embroidered Swooshes in rainbow tones. Colorful plastic panels complement the bright detail, while “Nike Air” is stripped from the heel branding to create a flag-like shape. Finally, the Zoom Pegasus Turbo sports a full-length rainbow stripe and plentiful sparkles across the vamp and heel, because “Baker was always covered in glitter, sparkle and bedazzle,” according to Nike.

The “BETRUE” pack begins rolling out at stockists like END. on June 1 and on Nike’s website June 8. Take a look at the pack’s accompanying clothing below.

Recently, it was rumored that Nike would roll out a collaborative range of Stranger Things sneakers.